The department of La Guajira is the largest coal producer in the country. The mining complex of El Cerrejón is the largest open pit coal mine in Latin America and exports 46% of Colombia's total coal exports. The sales of coal produce an income of approximately USD2,500 million, with an operating profit of 58%, a business return like no other. In spite of generating such financial riches the level of basic needs being met are far from satisfactory, and 62% of the inhabitants of la Guajira live in poverty and underdevelopment.

Following a meeting involving the Colombia Solidarity Campaign, Alexander Martínez Rivillas (from the University of the Tolima) and Jeremy Corbyn MP, in which we discussed our concerns about the proposed La Colosa gold mine in Cajamarca, Tolima, he agreed to submit an Early Day Motion (EDM) in order to raise this issue in Parliament.

As you may be aware, in order for the EDM to carry any significant weight, it is of paramount importance for it to attract as many signatures as possible from other MPs. We are therefore asking to PLEASE SEND A QUICK EMAIL TO YOUR MP, urging them to sign the EDM entitled "La Colosa Gold mine in Colombia". It will only take a couple of minutes to copy and paste the e-mail below and send it to your MP.

With the recent ever-increasing gold prices, and the 'investor friendly' climate in Colombia in recent years fueled by the Colombian government’s 'democratic security' policies, multinationals have been awarded mining rights to extensive areas of the country. Many of these areas cover national parks, and lands inhabited by Indigenous, Afro-Colombian and peasant communities, who will be displaced to make way for the mining companies. Not only are the environmental consequences for what is currently one of the richest countries in the world in terms of biodiversity devastating; vulnerable communities will lose their livelihoods and food security.

Featured

London Mining Network

The London Mining Network (LMN) is an alliance of human rights, development and environmental groups. We pledge to expose the role of companies, funders and government in the promotion of unacceptable mining projects.